Saturday, July 4, 2009

Striped Beetle Bug

What do you think of this big guy? He's about an inch and a half long, and he's got huge moose antlers. Some people call these beetles June Bugs, but we've always called the little bronze beetles June Bugs. We've always called these guys 'Hissing Beetles', because the entire time they're doing anything they make a peculiar noise that sounds like they are cussing you out. Grif found this guy in the kitchen. Isn't he cute? Gryphon took this picture, while Zephyr was cringing in the office. He doesn't like grabby bugs as much as Grif and I do.

2 comments:

TSJ
said...

We just got back from camping in Big Bear (CA). These things were all over the Serrano campground, but no one -- not even the rangers at the Discovery Center -- knew what they were called. I couldn't even find it in the two bug books they had at the Center. Very strange.

As far as I can tell, this is what's commonly called a 'Lined June Beetle'. The closest I can tell is maybe some variation of Polyphylla decemlineata- though that is based on a picture taken in Canada... far from Fresno, California. Too funny that even the rangers didn't know- you'd think they'd know things like that!